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Essential DIY hand tools including pliers, hammer, and tape measure on a wooden workbench for home repair projects.

How To Fix It, Step by Step

Instructions for many projects around the house in 400 words or less. Article contributor: Fix It Chick, Linda Cottin, has been in retail hardware since 1974. Linda and her husband, Tom, own Cottin's Hardware store in Lawrence, KS.

Recent Guides

Stripped electrical wire and a yellow replacement plug on a wooden workbench for a DIY repair project.

Replace a Electrical Plug End

Step 1:  Before replacing an electrical plug end make sure the lamp or appliance is unplugged, then use wire cutters or diagonal pliers to cut the old plug off. Read More

Wooden birdhouse with a red roof mounted on a tree trunk for a backyard DIY project – Fix-it Chick

Install a Bird House

Early spring is the perfect time to install a bird house.   Giving a little thought to the type of bird house being installed will increase the chances of attracting… Read More

Large hole in a plaster wall exposing the wooden laths underneath, requiring home repair and patching

Patch a Plaster Wall

Cracks or holes in plaster walls can be repaired with a little patience and a bag of patching plaster.  Pre-mixed joint compound or spackling will not adhere to plaster… Read More

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